Guile and Deceit
by Alan Bates
Summary: Guile has a story to tell. Won't you join him?


Is this actually a disclaimer saying that I don't own any of these characters, or is this too just an illusion?  
  
Guile and Deceit  
  
Hello travelers. Did you happen to see my campfire and desire to share in it's warmth and light, or where you tracking me on purpose in order to learn my story? I suppose it really doesn't matter. I'll freely give you both.   
  
In case you for some reason don't know of me, I am called Guile. At least, for now. I am a Magus; a dark magician.   
  
Or perhaps I'm a Porre soldier turned deserter. Maybe I used to be a cat.   
  
Hmmm...... possibilities.   
  
No. No. For the purpose of the story, I've never been a Magus. I'm simply a magician. But I met a magus once.   
  
Do you wish to heart my story? They say that everybody has one. A story that is. I have many. Some of them may even be true. The one I'm going to tell you tonight isn't the one you know. It's not the story of Serge and his little ragtag band of social outcasts and misfits.   
  
Admit it. They were. Even me. This story takes place before then.   
  
Nor will I tell the tale of a prince that became the Lord of the demi-humans. That too isn't important right now. Nor is my name important to you. You can call me Guile for now, keeping in mind I haven't always used that moniker.   
  
I was a young man when I first had my taste of magic. It was a basic side show carnival that had set up on the outskirts of town. Most of the village stayed away thinking of the travelers as con artists or worse. My mother had forbidden me from going there myself. Not that she needed to. I in fact had no wish to attend until I had been forbidden to do so and that was enough to peak my curiosity.  
  
Well, they say that forbidden fruits are the sweetest.   
  
The simple circus was for the most part quite dull. Ragtag performers doing whatever one step trick for whatever money the audience cared to throw at them. (that in addition to the tents entrance fee of course) At this point the story could have ended with nothing gained and no greater lessons. It should have ended at that point if not for an odd series of events and the way they dominoed into each other.   
  
First, as a often did at that young age, I hadn't completely tied my shoes correctly so when I started to leave I tripped over the laces. I fell against the walls of the tent and the weight started to pull them down. It dislodged the pole holding the tent up and set some of the smaller pieces flying towards the fire eater. In a few short seconds, the audience, myself, and the performers were all caught underneath the tarps which I might add where slowly catching aflame.   
  
Pay attention. This is the part that changed my life.   
  
A man in a tuxedo, tophat and cape that I had just moments ago watched pulling rabbits out of hats and producing doves from thin air walked calmly amongst the chaos. He slowly removed his jacket revealing several glowing rune marks tattooed onto his skin.   
  
In seconds a wind formed seemingly under his control. Gale forces extinguished the fires and pushed the poles back into their proper places. I believe I was the only member of the audience that saw the explanation for our sudden safety.   
  
A true wizard hiding as a trick magician. Parlor tricks hiding power. I had never seen anything like it. From that moment on, I was hooked.  
  
When I next got the chance I scrounged the town library for any information I could find on the subject. It would be an understatement to say that the library was pitifully understocked in such information. Most of what I had found was in the manner of fairy tales and myth. When I did find what I was looking for, I studied my hardest to memorize every aspect of it.   
  
I was ecstatic when I mustered enough skill for a simple fire spell, not more than a few sparks actually, but at the time it was the world to me.   
  
I spent hours casting the spell over and over again. This ended when I accidentally set fire to several buildings in the town. I was never caught or even suspected. Outwardly I was full of shame at the case of the tragic events. Secretly I was proud of how much damage I could do with a simple spell. I considered myself finally coming into my own.   
  
Foolish, I know, but when you're a child even the smallest taste of power can be overwhelming.  
  
Having greatly decrease my popularity in the town of my birth, I stole away with that little books I had found in the library and set of on a course to find some one who could further induct me in the arts. I'll leave out some of my greater mistakes for my own prides sake. I'm sure you've heard tale about amateur magicians thinking they were much greater than they really were. Some of the tales you have heard were undoubtedly about me. Just remember there is always some truth in any story that you here.  
  
Especially the ones that are utter lies.   
  
Most of the teacher's I have met bear no mention in my tale in the slightest. It was one night however that I met a traveler. He came to share my fire much in the same way that you are now. I, still bearing the foolishness of youth and narcissism brought on by my abilities decided that it would be best to impress him by lighting the fire with one of my few legitimate spells. My first.  
  
I had expected him to be awed by my might. I had grown so used to being able to impress any and everyone that I ran across with simple spells. What he did was far more impressive. He put his hand to the camp fire I had started and a dark mist flowed for the air around us. I didn't believe that it was possible, but the fire lost it's light and eat. Yet it continued to burn. I'll never forget the words he had said next.  
  
"Magic knows no betters. Anyone who is capable of drawing power is capable of drawing just as much power as the next person. It's the person that uses the power that's important. There's always someone better than you. Remember that."  
  
When I asked him how he had accomplished this. He simply said "magic". But he was teasing me and the laugh that soon followed gave him away. I would have preferred not to hear it. The laugh lacked humor much as the fire now lacked light. He told me to light it again.   
  
I tried but I couldn't. My confidence was shot. He explained to me that he was unable to restore it himself. That wasn't the way that is brand of magic worked. I didn't understand but of course I didn't want to admit such.   
  
"Magic is life. You give a little bit of yourself into it whatever you cast. The fire is now me." He said and to illustrate his point, he moved his hands through the air. The black flames twisted and danced with him. He then slowly put both of his hands together and the fire died. "goodnight." he said. The strange thing is I don't recall sleeping that night nor do I recall him leaving but the next full memory I had was the sun shining and me sitting before a roasting fire cooking my breakfast.  
  
I spent years wandering and although my skills did infact increase slightly, I still had but a few tricks up my sleeves. I was more charlatan than a true wizard. Somewhere along the lines, I decided that showing off with fakery and staged illusions was just as impressive as real magic. Much the opposite of what my original inspiration. I have to admit, magic can be quite difficult to grasp without a proper instructor, and how many people do you know that are qualified to teach?   
  
I began to work on what most people would refer to as tricks. I called them my illusions and they, if I may be so bold, were quite impressive. My reputation grew tremendously.   
  
One day fame caught up with me. The ruler of another town caught word of my presence and called me forth before him. Perhaps you may have heard of Lord Viper. He doesn't remember me from that time fortunately. Of course, I've changed much since the time we met. He gave me a specific task to perform. He requested I slay another wizard whom he considered to be a threat to his little kingdom. Now it would be a long time afterward that I would learn Viper himself was being coerced by another creature, but you know that story already.  
  
Now you would think that a simple wizards duel would have scared the...scared me badly, but I had gotten used to my own reputation and had spent many hours both researching the skills I had already picked up and to further stack the deck in my favor, I had spent many hours preparing my illusions. What I had learned in my short time was that appearances were often much more impressive than a simple show of strength. The key of magic lies in what people believe possible and anyone that tells you different is obviously lying to you for some reason or another.  
  
So most likely they would be some form of mage themselves.  
  
Do I sound like I'm repeating myself? If I do I apologize it's just that some facts must be drilled in…  
  
Lord Viper had given me all the information his men had gathered on the wizard in question. He supplied me with quarters which I took to immediately to prepare the illusions need. While some of the supplies where quite hard to come by for the most part I had no real problems in that area....  
  
...In THAT area. Remind me to tell you the tale of the Porre soldier, the shopkeeper wife and I should we ever have another occasion for story telling.  
  
When I thought myself ready, I had the servants Viper placed at my disposal research the wizard that had supposedly been such a huge threat to the kingdom. I couldn't help but wonder why, if he was such a big threat, I had never heard of him. When an established pattern had been formulated for the wizard's movements, I set about laying my traps. All in the name of magic.  
  
I waited all day and late into the afternoon the next day for my would be rival to show. On the fifth day, when I had finally started to believe he would not appear, I saw him in the distance.   
  
Hmmm don't you love how things like that happen in these stories? Sounds made up. But do you think I'd be telling you such an obviously false story if it wasn't true.  
  
As far as my planning goes.....I had set an area of high combustible rags nearby so that a small fire spell would ignite them all and give me the visual of a high wall of flame. I took a quick moment to instal a trap door that led to a tunnel I had dug. "Disappearing magic." Let him worry about how powerful I was, he'd trip himself up in the end.  
  
I saw him approaches as he seemed to being searching the area for something. Spell components, I believed, despite the fact that none of the records had shone him doing anything other than concentrating to perform his spells.  
  
On that note allow me a tangent to explain something you may or may not understand. Magic works in may forms. It can be channeled through the power of will, incantations, potions and formulas, gestures, or a combination of the group. If you've yourself ever bought any elements what you are in fact doing is using a power magical charm powered by your own life energy. The reason I mention this now is because the mage in question seemed to never use anything other than the power of his own will of hand gestures. There fore my plan was simply to keep him for being able to concentrate for no more than a brief moment.  
  
When he came close enough, I approached him in a cloud of smoke brought on by simple powders and completely no magical. I gave him the threats I had practiced and even though I could not make out the expression of his face form the dark cloak he wore, I seemed to know he was smiling.  
  
I used my powers to ignite the wall of flames and he balked immediately. Another trap I had waiting caught him shooting fireworks towards his direction but never managing to hit. I was off to a very good start.  
  
That's what I thought at the time, my frequent attempts at ambushes through out the day further seemed to stack the decks in my favor. Fireworks, trap doors, smoke screens and simple slight of hand gave me the advantage in all areas.  
  
We would clash several times through out the next week. While he was able to deflect some of my assaults, he was unable to counter them affectively for the most part and completely unable to attack my person himself.  
  
On the fifteenth day of our conflict, I saw to end the contest completely. Granted, I could have or perhaps even should have ended it sooner but I had other interests in mind.   
  
There was a containing spell I had researched. It had cost me several days to find the necessary ingredients for the concoction but once they had been mixed, when applied, they would bind the target to the owners will.   
  
In truth, at this point, I had not known whether to end his life or to force him to take me as his student. It mattered little. I found him again in the forest. I watched him. He was sitting there eating a small sandwich and drinking wine from simple flask. I prepared my trap when he spoke to me. He told me that I had best be more care and more quiet in the future if I were to sneak upon a magus who was doing nothing more than minding his own business. The voice was that of the man who had made the fires black years before.  
  
Flabbergasted I stumbled out into the open and try as I may to sound impressive, my confidence was shot completely.  
  
His next words I remember verbatim.  
  
"What is it you seek?" he asked me. I explained about the offer placed on his head and the lessons I wished to learn from him.  
  
"You?" he laughed a humorlessly. It was as cold and dark as a winter's night. Then he pulled the hood from his face. He was a demi-human although one of the more human looking ones. Hi hair was a pale shade that seemed to change shades from blue to gray to white as the light hit it. His eyes were deep under a heavy brow and his ear pointed. His skin had the paleness of the dead. "you lack even the most basic skills in magic and you thought you could trap me?" Then he smiled. There was something he found quite enjoyable. "I will make you an offer like the Lord of this land could not. I will give you power." I agreed before he could finish his statement. He scolded me like a child. "Do not be so hasty. Nothing comes without a price."  
  
"I'll pay any price." I remember my words well. I've regretted them to this day.  
  
He nodded his head. I half expected him to say "so be it" or any other suck cliché' melodramatic soliloquies. He spoke not at all. He merely walked to me and placed both his hands on opposite sides of my face and forced me to stare into his eyes.   
  
There was a burning pain that would do injustice to even describe. It felt as if my life essence were ripped in twain. My face burnt under his stare and my skin itself twitched. I could feel myself growing and changing with the power that coursed through me.  
  
I must have blacked out then. I remember awakening and having him sit by my side. He held a mirror for me to look into. It was only then I learned the cost of my bargain. My features had been twisted and reformed. I was no longer but I did not look to be him either. Rather a strange amalgamation of the two of us.  
  
"This is your price. I've given you power and I give you a lesson as well. Never make a deal without knowing what the other person wants in return." He held the flask of wine over to me and I drank heartily from it.  
  
"what …what is it you want?" I said testing the new tone of my voice as I spoke it for the first time.  
  
"Simple really. In the coming year, there will be a most dangerous quest. Should I perish in it, the rest of what is you will be forced out of that body and I will take it as my own." The transformation had been too much for me. I didn't have the energy to be frightened or shocked at his words. "But I am a fair man. When next we meet, we will duel again and on equal terms. Should I win, you will be slain. For at that time, I will have no further use for you. Should you win … well, that's will be up to you. You can let me live and stay what I have turned you into or you can strike me down. Then you will be the other you again. The simple fool who tried to challenge a wizard far beyond his capacities. The choice will be yours."  
  
We parted ways then. Almost two years later, I found myself entangled in another mysterious mission involving a blue haired boy and a pirate girl who's appearance stuck cords of memory that were not my own.  
  
Now that quest is over and with it, the Magus's mission. I spend the nights now looking for the one who made me what I am today.   
  
And that is my story.  
  
This was the very forest in which we met, years ago.   
  
Of course, there's no real reason for you to believe me. In fact the whole thing may have been simply another of my illusions.  
  
In that case the tale was a lie and this story has meant nothing.  
  
I wish you pleasant dreams. 


End file.
